Romney quashes N.H.-move speculation

By KENNETH P. VOGEL

05/31/2009 10:57 AM EDT

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, widely believed to be eying another run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012, rejected reports on Sunday that he is planning to make his permanent residence in New Hampshire to position himself for the state’s first-in-nation presidential primary.

“No, my residence is still in Massachusetts. That is my home. That’s where I vote. And I’m going to continue to be a Massachusetts resident – I can’t tell you how many years that’s the case – but for the indefinite future,” Romney told "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace.

Romney recently sold expensive homes in Utah and Massachusetts. And this month, Hotline On Call reported that Romney planned to make his primary residence at his family’s vacation house on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.

But when Wallace pressed him on whether he might change his primary residence to the state at some point before the early 2012 primary, Romney appeared to categorically rule out the possibility.

“Massachusetts is my home and I’m not looking forward to any particular race, but my residence continues to be Massachusetts and will be.”

As for the presidential race, Romney, who has been active on the fundraising and talk show circuits, said “I’m not going to close that door, but I’m not going to walk through it either. … We have plenty of time to decide what the future holds. It’s very early – five months into the president’s term. We’ll see how he does and we as a party are going to come back stronger, more vibrant, and more committed to following the principles that have always been at the base of our party.”